Järnvägens miljökonsekvenser

Sammanfattning: In December 2015, Sweden joined the Paris Agreement which aims to keep the rising global temperature under 1.5 ˚C. Agenda 2030 are sustainable development goals from the UN that will promote the accessibility to obtain a sustainable society. The Swedish environmental objectives are based on the national environmental quality objectives and the generational goal (Regeringskansliet, 2020).A lot of the things happening in the construction industry affect the environment. There are industries which are responsible for 32% of the total emissions from Sweden (Naturvårdsverket, 2020). The purpose of this thesis is to find out the following: how do railway projects affect nature and the environment? What causes the most impact, and how is it handled? To get the answers for these questions a literature study was made and staff from Trafikverket were interviewed for the purpose of getting a wider perspective. The interviews that were conducted over Skype or by the telephone were recorded with permission and later to be transcribed.The answers from the interviews matched the literature study and a few of the respondents shared their personal experience from projects to answer the interview questions. With the help of the interview and the literature study, the questions of the thesis could be answered. The consequences that happens on nature and the environment depends on the size of the project and can be everything from noise to barrier effect. Mass management, transportation and the manufacturing of concrete and cement, were the factors that the respondents considered that had the biggest environmental impact. To counteract that these problems arise or that they have a huge impact, an MKB is written in the projects that the county administrate board deems that have a significant environmental impact, whose content is regulated by laws and regulations. MKB is meant to function as a support for projects in terms of environmental consequences, problem solving and goals.